. >> reporter: in new york city, sabrina norrie and kelli space have an idea of their own, called zero bound. if students are struggling to pay debt in dollars, why not pay it through community service? they're still raising money, but once it's up and running, the company will help borrowers get donations in exchange for volunteer work. >> i thought, there's got to be a way we can get creative about this. and being involved in volunteer work, i thought, lets see if we can invest that education of students and alumni back into the community through volunteering. >> reporter: innovations like these have the support of the federal government, in a report last month, the consumer financial protection bureau said if they work, private businesses could play an important role in helping student borrowers pay down their debts. sylvia hall, "n.b.r.," washington. >> susie: for many people the holidays are typically a time to make charitable contributions. americans gave $200 billion to non-profits last year, and half of that came from the wealthiest americans. what influences their giving? rube